Library Creates Quiet Study Space

The library section of the Student Resource Center now includes a quiet zone for students to study away from the hum of computers and foot traffic, said SRC Librarian Olivia Baca.

The second-floor quiet space on the south side of the building was created, at no cost, in response to a spring 2012 survey in which students requested study space in a noise-free space, said Baca.

“We want to listen and be responsive. To see that space really being utilized kind of helps emphasize how badly it was needed. Our mission is to support stu­dents and support stu­dent success,” said Baca.

Interim Director of Libraries Poppy Johnson-Renvall said she saw this as an opportu­nity to listen to student’s needs and to meet them quickly. It is something the library staff prides themselves on, she said.

Because the SRC is a new building, no one wanted to add walls or new additions to the building.

Instead, the library used existing space to provide for students, said Johnson-Renvall. This was done by moving a set of bookshelves 20 yards north, she said.

“The really nice thing about a commu­nity college is that we can be very agile in the ways we make changes,” said Johnson-Renvall.

Moving more than 30,000 books and creating the space was expected to take two weeks and was set to occur between the summer and fall break, she said.

Instead, work-study students from the library and the ACE computer labs combined efforts to complete the project in four days. The south area of the second floor now includes individ­ual workstations and reminder signs that the area is a quiet zone.

“We could not have done it without ACE. So we are really grateful for their collaboration and cooperation,” said Baca.

ACE administra­tor Merigen Naranjo said that the space has already become very popular with students wishing to study.